The hip-hop star was unveiled as the new creative chairman of EMI's Priority Records in September (09), and he is looking to snap up a rock band for the label's roster.

He has a number of acts in mind - and top of the list is Gallagher, following the Wonderwall hitmaker's departure from Oasis in August (09).

Snoop tells music magazine NME, "Would I sign Noel Gallagher? Hell yeah. Would I collaborate with him? Yeah, definitely. Set it up... I love his style. I'm definitely trying to find a rock band right now."

29 September 2009

One person we could never picture as a Trekkie is Britpop god Noel Gallagher. But since leaving Oasis, the singer is in line for a big-bucks marketing campaign.

He is joining the latest celeb-filled adidas commercial, hilariously dressed as a Star Trek character.

A source told us: “The advert has been shot in two parts; the first part is a rooftop party similar to the house party' themed adidas advert from last year, and the second part is based around a famous Star Trek scene.”

David Beckham, 34, also dressed as a Star Trek character before being placed in front of a green screen to re-enact a scene from the sci-fi franchise.

Last year's “house party” adidas ad featured Beckham, Katy Perry, Missy Elliott, Estelle, Run DMC and The Ting Tings among others, and this year's promises to be even more celebtastic with stars from music, sport and fashion.

Noel, 42, who left Oasis last month citing “irreconcilable differences”, will no doubt be in line for a string of abuse from his brother and former bandmate Liam for donning the nerdy outfit.

The ad was shot in the West End last week. Our source added: “The filming was a lot of fun, and should be aired in the next month or so.”

Meanwhile, if Noel is looking for extra work, he has been offered another pay cheque by Razorlight.

Swedish guitarist Bjorn Agren said: “Maybe we should get Noel to produce the new Razorlight album? We're looking for a producer, and we need a little Northerner cred.”

28 September 2009

Oasis singer Liam Gallagher is seeking libel damages from the Guardian after it incorrectly claimed he’d stormed out of a London gig and failed to return.

Gallagher launched a legal action after publication of the story, headlined 'Liam Gallagher storms out of Oasis gig', on the Guardian.co.uk website on July 22.

The story alleged Gallagher acted unprofessionally and without regard for the audience as he stormed out, not to return, in the middle of a performance at Camden’s Roundhouse, according a writ filed at the High Court.

London law firm, Carter-Ruck, filed the writ on the singer’s behalf claming the allegations could deter people from going to future Oasis concerts.

Shortly after the story appeared, the writ stated, Gallagher issued an unequivocal denial that he had stormed out and made clear that his departure from the stage was short, pre-planned.

Gallagher claimed he’d returned to the stage within ten minutes and his brief departure was a regular part of Oasis concerts over the previous year or so.

The Guardian published an apology to the singer on 7 August, saying it had made an error with the original article.

It stated; "In an earlier article 'Liam Gallagher storms out of Oasis gig' published online on 22 July 2009 we wrongly suggested that Liam Gallagher walked out of an Oasis gig and did not return disrupting the set they were performing.

"In fact Liam Gallagher only left the stage whilst his brother sang two songs as is normal during their performance and returned to continue the rest of the set.

"We apologise to Liam Gallagher for this error."

Although the Guardian published an apology, Gallagher claimed it was not issued on agreed terms, and did not provide the vindication to which he was entitled.

Gallagher complained the apology did to refer to paying damages, was not suitably prominent, and was not linked to the website home page but appeared only as a free standing item for about 60 hours.

The writ issued to the High Court claimed Guardian News and Media made no effort to contact Gallagher, or any representative of Oasis, before the story appeared and has since failed to make offer of amends.

Gallagher, who said the story damaged his reputation and caused him serious distress and embarrassment, is pursuing his legal action as he believes the Guardian is liable for repetition of the claims on other websites. He is seeking an injunction banning repetition of the allegations.

WIZ, the director of the 'Falling Down' video (and Kasabian's 'Fire') is up for Best Director.

The awards take place on October 13th and are designed to recognise excellence in music video production by UK individuals and companies and to highlight the cultural significance of music video as an art form.

Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, founder member and former guitarist with Oasis, has announced a UK and European tour with Manchester’s most talked-about new band, The Vortex.

"It really is like the old days of Oasis for me – these small, sweaty gigs where the audience are going barmy. There's a real menace and excitement to this band. I've seen it before with Oasis. And I'm seeing it all over again with The Vortex." Bonehead talking about The Vortex.

The Vortex are cooking up a storm at their regular visits to Alan McGee's Death Disco in London, and are currently recording their debut album with Bonehead on production duties.

“You can always put your trust in Manchester music and the Vortex are set for big things, they've been setting their controls for the heart of the northern anthem as if Kasabian never existed. Plus, the new demos have been surpassing all expectation: pure anthems for party people. Oh yeah, they just added Bonehead (of Oasis fame) on guitar.” Alan McGee (writing in The Guardian)

JAXX (Heather Small/Cotton Club vocalist) has also joined The Vortex full-time, and will be touring with the band this autumn. The band have also recently filmed their part in brit-gangster flick ‘Freight’ with celebrated hard man Joe Egan.

Kasabian must be happy as Larry that Oasis have disbanded - they are officially the top rockers on the block!

But that doesn't mean they don't have respect for the Gallagher brothers and their defunct band.

In Dublin on Friday to celebrate Arthur's Day - Guiness's 250th birthday - lead singer Tom Meighan told me: "Oasis were at the pinnacle of the music world for 16 years and despite touring with them this year we didn't see any signs that they were falling apart.

"I had nights out with both Liam and Noel separately and things were fine. It's a sad loss that they are no longer."

The lads also told me that Noel is to star in a new Adidas campaign later this year. Can't wait to see that.

But Tom wasn't quite so nice about Robbie Williams.

Speaking of the Robster's comeback into the charts, Tom said: "Nobody knows what the hell he's on about these days because he's nuts - it's probably best to let him get on with it."

27 September 2009

Nelly Furtado was devastated when Noel Gallagher quit Oasis - because she idolised the band when she was growing up.

The Maneater hitmaker looked to the British band for inspiration when she was starting out in the music business, and even dreamed of dating frontman Liam Gallagher.

Furtado was distraught to learn guitarist Noel walked away from the group after a fight with his brother before a show in Paris last month (Aug09).

She says, "I was inconsolable when Oasis split up. That band meant the world to me."As a 16-year-old I would write letters to Liam with my photo attached and pray that he would ask me out on a date, but he never did. At college I learned to play guitar to Wonderwall.

"Oasis were everything I loved about pop music. They could express emotions with the most simple song structures. They had the kind of brash attitude I could completely relate to."

The Champagne Supernova hitmakers are yet to confirm plans for the future, but reports suggest Liam is auditioning for a replacement for his brother and intends to continue with the band.

Kasabian have asked pal Noel Gallagher to return to gigging and join them on tour.

The Mancunian rock legend, 42, is already desperate to get back on the road again just month after Oasis split.

So he has turned to Kasabian and said: 'Maybe you're gonna be the ones who save me...' from being bored.

He's asked to appear on their upcoming UK arena tour - which kicks off in Newcastle on November 10 - and they have given him the thumbs up.

In an exclusive chat Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan, 28, revealed their gig plans and hinted they may record a song together in the future.

He told me: "We've got our arena tour in November.

"Noel will be calling us up nearer the time for sure saying, 'Lads, I'm going to come perform with you on tour'.

"He's a performing machine, and loves playing live so he jumps at the opportunity whenever he can join us."

And assessing the prospects of getting into the recording studio with Noel, Tom added: "We'd love to do a track with him. Never say never.

"But at the moment he's concentrating on his solo stuff and we're busy as ever."

I imagine Noel is fully aware that performing live with the Leicester rockers Tom, Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Edwards and Ian Matthews will annoy his younger brother and former bandmate Liam.

I'm told by a pal: "Noel has got itchy fingers and wants to get back into touring as quickly as he can.

"He and the Kasabian lads have spoken about it and they all thought it was a brilliant idea so he will join them onstage in for a few cameo appearances.

"It also has the added benefit that it will irritate the hell out of Liam, who didn't want the band to split at all.

"It shows Noel has already moved on and can play with anyone that takes his fancy, which will rile Liam considering how competitive he is."

Noel and Kasabian's collaboration will come as good news to Oasis fans who missed seeing the band after a huge bust-up between him and Liam caused the band to split and cancel a number of gigs in August.

A music insider tells me: "The Kasabian lads love Noel and see him as a guiding light. To get him to play on Their tour rather than support him as they have before means so much to them. Plus imagine what it would do for ticket sales."

Noel has performed with Kasabian before. He did three songs with the Mercury Prize nominees at Edinburgh's Hogmany in 2007.

26 September 2009

Noel Gallagher clearly has time for the one who's not "the fat dancer from Take That".

You know that it's a slow day when a picture of two aging men and a baby become news, but if Noel is trying to recruit Jason 'the body' Orange as Liam's replacement in Oasis, that'll do us.

The pair were spotting having a chin-wag on a London street, possibly chuckling about the time Noel said he'd "put a bullet in the gun" for Robbie Williams." Ho ho ho ho, what a wag.

Noel's jovial appearance mostly likely stemmed from the news that his brother is considering moving to the USA though, which means we might soon be able to report similar pictures of Liam and Robbie aping around like neanderthals the sidewalk. God, America, you've been too good to us - although we did have Madonna and Gwyneth for all those years.

Liam Gallagher's son is "obsessed" with his uncle's group The Prodigy.

Gene Gallagher - the Oasis star's eight-year-old son with wife Nicole Appleton - infuriates his parents by demanding to listen to his favourite songs by the veteran dance act, of which his uncle Liam Howlett is a member.

Howlett - who is married to Nicole's sister, Natalie Appleton - told Q magazine: "Gene does Nicole's head in, in the car on the way to school. He's always like, 'Put it on again. Put 'Thunder' on.' "

Gallagher - whose brother is his former Oasis bandmate Noel Gallagher - is supportive of Gene's interest in music.

It has previously been claimed the 'Lyla' singer - who also has a 10-year-old son, Lennon, from his marriage to actress Patsy Kensit - regularly drops into Gene's school to pass on his musical knowledge to the pupils.

A source said: "Liam's spending loads of time in the school. He does the school run in the morning and often pops in and teaches the kids some music skills.

"He's often in the music room playing on the instruments with the kids."

Liam Gallagher will be emigrating for some sunshiiiiine soon if he keeps listening to his missus Nicole Appleton.

The former All Saints singer is trying to convince him to move across the Pond.

Since Noel walked out on the band Nicole has been more aggressive with her plans.

And Liam, seen having a light ale with a pal in London yesterday, is considering a fresh start. A source said: "Nicole would move tomorrow if she had her way - or at least spend most of their time there.

"She thinks they should make the move now that OASIS are no more."

The pair discussed moving to New York a year ago. At the time Liam said: "I love that city, I love the buzz. That's the next step for me. And no, I'm not going to do acting or any of that s***. I've been offered a few things but it's not me.

"I'm just going to a place where I can be me."

I'd suggest he moves back to Manchester and near Old Trafford - then no one would blame him for being angry.

24 September 2009

Kasabian are ready to take over from Oasis as the UK's biggest rock band.

It's been nearly a month since Noel Gallagher walked out on Oasis because of "verbal and violent" intimidation.

And while Kasabian are sad their musical heroes are no more, they reckon they are the natural successors to their crown.

Hours before they prepared to headline a massive gig for Guinness in Dublin, singer Tom Meighan said: "It's over for Oasis now. It's not my business but there must have been a lot of trouble happening for Noel to walk out.

"If it's so big that he's not coming back, it's a sad day for rock 'n' roll.

"I've heard Liam is going to carry it on without Noel but to me it's over."

Bassist Chris Edwards said: "They have left a big hole. Festivals, stadiums and arenas will need filling and we are ready to be that band."

Win 3 sets of Manchester memorabilila to celebrate the publication of Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain by legendary photographer Kevin Cummins - the definitive photographic history of Manchester pop from 1976 to today, featuring some of the most iconic music photographs of all time.

"Kevin's photographs have shaped the way fans perceive their idols. These images capture moments long forgotten. This iconic book ensures they will live forever." Noel Gallagher

Each set of Manchester goodies contains a copy of Manchester: Looking for the Light Through the Pouring Rain published by Faber, a set of Kevin Cummins Manchester postcards by Polite plus four very limited edition A1 posters featuring four of the most iconic images from the book.

On Monday, October 26 Q will once again honour the biggest and best stars in music at The Awards.

Q Awards 2009 with Russian Standard Vodka celebrate a great year in music as Oasis, Muse, Kasabian, U2, Florence And The Machine, Kings Of Leon, Dizzee Rascal and Arctic Monkeys prepare to fight it out for a golden Q.

Last year's Q Awards with Russian Standard Vodka saw Coldplay take home the prestigious Best Act in the World Today however this year they face strong opposition in the form of recently split Oasis, Muse, Arctic Monkeys and the all-conquering Kings Of Leon.

Kasabian and Florence And The Machine both crown their hugely successful year by garnering three nominations apiece.

Comenting on the nominees Q Magazine Editor-In-Chief Paul Rees highlighted the breadth of Q reader's taste, "The Q Awards prides itself on honouring the best popular music of the year and the 2009 vintage is no exception. Once again the nominations prove that great music continues to be made across a broad range of styles. The nominations are compiled from votes cast in their thousands by Q's readers, listeners, viewers and online users, so they reflect the choice of the nation's music fans."

23 September 2009

"Little by Little" is a song by British rock band Oasis, first released as the sixth track on their fifth studio album Heathen Chemistry. On September 22nd 2002, it was released with "She Is Love" as the first (and, so far, only) double A-sided single by the band, peaking at #2 in the UK Singles Chart Noel Gallagher provides lead vocals on both tracks, which he also wrote.

"Little by Little" was perhaps the most controversial song on the album, receiving mixed reviews from those who felt it was a classic example of an upbeat Oasis anthem and those who felt it was a twee, patronising, sycophantic melody. Regardless of this, the song managed to peak at number two in the UK charts based largely on the publicity garnered by the song.

The promo video to the song featured a guest role by Robert Carlyle. The cover art for the single is an homage to Robert Indiana's LOVE artwork.

She Is Love

"She Is Love" is a song by British rock band Oasis, first released as the ninth track on their fifth studio album Heathen Chemistry. In September 2002, it was released with "Little by Little" as the first double A-sided single by the band, peaking at #2 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was written about Noel Gallagher's girlfriend Sara McDonald and is a light, acoustic song about being in love.

Gallagher claims it was written in the Buckingham Gate Hotel in London, and that it took 30 minutes to complete. The band commissioned British fashion art director Rachel Thomas to make a promo video for the song. However, the resulting film, a mix of animation and live action, has never been released on any format.

Track listings

7" RKID 26, CD RKIDSCD 26, 12" RKID 26T"Little By Little" - 4:57"She Is Love" - 3:11"My Generation" - 4:05 (CD and 12" only)"My Generation" was recorded live at the BBC's Maida Vale studios on January 20, 2000. The sleevenotes claim it was recorded on February 7, 2000, but this was the transmission date, not the recording date.

DVD RKIDSDVD 26"Little By Little" - 5:02"Little By Little" (demo) - 4:5510 minutes of noise and confusion - pt three - 8:31The third part of the "10 Minutes..." documentary looks behind the scenes of their sell out shows at Finsbury Park in London from July 5-7 2002.

German CD CDM 6730685"Little by Little""My Generation""Columbia" (live)"Columbia" was recorded live at the Barrowlands, Glasgow, on October 13, 2001."Little by Little" (live video)CD-ROM video recorded live at Finsbury Park, London, on July 7, 2002.

"Stand by Me" is a song by British rock group Oasis, written by lead guitarist, Noel Gallagher. It was the second single to be released from the band's third album, Be Here Now, and peaked at number 2 in the UK charts in September 1997. It was kept from the top-spot by the record breaking Elton John single "Candle in the Wind 1997," re-recorded and released in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, who had died three weeks before the release of "Stand by Me". Despite this, "Stand By Me" still went Gold in the UK. "Stand by Me" was acknowledged as one of the stand-out tracks from Be Here Now.

Interview

In a 1997 interview promoting Be Here Now, Noel Gallagher had the following to say: "It starts, 'Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday'. When I first moved to London my mam kept on ringing up and asking was I eating properly. Yes, Mam. So I tried to cook a Sunday roast and puked up for two days with food poisoning. It was back to Pot Noodles after that. It's a bit like "Live Forever", I suppose, with a touch of "All the Young Dudes" in the background -- though I made sure I changed the chords."

Live Performances

Due to Noel Gallagher's general dislike of Be Here Now, "Stand by Me" is rarely played live by the band at their concerts, as it is Noel who usually decides the song listings for Oasis' tours. A live version of the song from this tour can be found on the double-CD version of Familiar to Millions.

A well-known acoustic version of "Stand by Me" was shown on television the night before the release of Be Here Now as part of a BBC1 documentary, featuring Noel, Liam Gallagher and drummer Alan White sitting by the side of a swimming pool, with Liam on vocals, Noel on acoustic guitar and White holding a tambourine.

Writing

Noel Gallagher claims to have written the song whilst suffering from food poisoning when he first moved to London. His mother Peggy would phone him to check on him and repeatedly told him to ensure he was eating properly. This spurred Gallagher to cook himself a proper English Sunday dinner, which resulted in a bout of food poisoning. Gallagher claims that the song's first line—"Made a meal and threw it up on Sunday/I've got a lot of things to learn"—came to him as he lay on the floor and it was then that he began to pen the lyrics to the song.

The title for the song probably comes from the song "Stand By Me", which was covered by the Gallaghers' idol John Lennon. In a characteristic example of Noel Gallagher lifting elements from songs of which he is fond, the rousing sequence of chord changes between the repeated chorus lyrics 'Stand by me/Nobody knows the way it's gonna be' bears a remarkable similarity to a similar chord sequence in Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes", written by David Bowie.

Video

The video for the song was a reworking of a famous series of adverts for The Guardian newspaper. Entitled The Whole Picture, the adverts showed people appearing to be engaging in criminal and/or anti-social acts—only to revealed that they are actually helping someone else. For example, a scruffily-dressed skinhead rushes at a businessman; it appears he is making an effort to mug him; only the "whole picture" reveals that he is fact dashing to push him away from a load of falling bricks. Similarly in the video for "Stand By Me", a shop appears to be being burgled - its window smashed and people taking away electrical goods—only for it to be revealed that in fact the victim of a motorcycle crash has gone through the window and is buried under the televisions.

"My Sister Lover" - Some fans believe the title to be a reference to the band Sister Lovers, a group that invited Oasis to a May 1993 gig at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow, Scotland, where they were spotted by Creation Records chief Alan McGee, who reportedly offered Oasis a recording contract on the spot after the gig.

"Going Nowhere" - apparently Noel's attempt at a Burt Bacharach style song - can be found on The Masterplan, a collection of Oasis B-sides. It is one of only two B-sides from the Be Here Now era to be included on the album. Although it was not released until 1997, the song was written in 1990, before Noel even joined Oasis, let alone before they were signed.

Johnny Marr made up half of the songwriting partnership behind The Smiths, widely regarded as one of the most influential bands ever. Now he has joined indie three-piece The Cribs. Rob Garratt spoke to him about his old band, his new band, and his favourite guitars.

One of his more long-lasting musical relationships is with fellow Manchurians Oasis, who he championed in their early days, and their guitarist Noel Gallagher has repaid the favour by frequently quoting Marr as one of his largest influences. Their only formal collaboration saw Marr lending his expertise to a couple of tracks of their 2002 LP, Heathen Chemistry.

Did he feel as excited about the band as when he offered to lend them his equipment in the mid-1990s when they were making their iconic first album?

“I don't like critiquing bands, I'm not very good at it and I change my mind every day,” says Marr neutrally. “Working with them was fun. We spent so much time together for years without writing anything together. It was all pretty causal - they had a couple of songs where the guitar wasn't working and I played on them - it wasn't very formal at all.”

Marr's measured responses are not surprising for someone who has made an effort to shy away from the media, and he is quick to dismiss the notion that he might be frustrated with people always wanting to talk to him about The Smiths.

20 September 2009

Jigga says his Glastonbury 2008 appearance was akin to winning his first Grammy.

Jay-Z has said that Noel Gallagher's views on him headlining Glastonbury in 2008 showed up the former Oasis guitarist's "archaic" stance on hip hop.

Speaking on BBC One's flagship political programme The Andrew Marr Show, Jay-Z explained that when he took to the stage at Worthy Farm after his well-documented verbal spat with Gallagher it felt like winning a Grammy award.

"That was like winning the first Grammy for me. It was one of those times where , you know…almost like knocking the door down," he told Marr.

"Noel Gallagher, I think he perpetuated the old way of thinking. We don't think like that, or listen to music like that [now]. On my iPod is The Beatles, Jay-Z, Kings Of Leon, Lil Wayne, Grizzly Bear, Arctic Monkeys. I listen to a diverse arrangement of music, and I think that how kids listen to music now.

Elsewhere in the interview, Jay-Z said that Gallagher's criticism of him being chosen to headline Glastonbury didn't go down well because the general public didn't agree with him.

"It was almost like the people were saying "No, we want that to happen. That’s the natural progression. We like rap, we like rock. We like everything." And it was just that last…that archaic thinking that was in the way of this festival."

The rapper went on to say that musicians like Gallagher need to embrace change rather than shun it, stating: "If we believe that a thing that started should be held forever I'd still be a slave, right? It'd still be in slavery. Things change and the world changes and I think it's best to embrace change."

18 September 2009

Jay-Z played a relatively intimate gig in London last night (September 17).

The rapper, who is currently in the UK playing stadium dates with Coldplay, took to the stage at the Roundhouse in Camden following a ten-minute countdown on a digital clock projected onto the stage ahead of his arrival.

Backed by an 11-piece live band, Jay-Z – dressed in black and sporting shades throughout the show – kicked off with 'DOA (Death Of Autotune)', before performing an hour-long show that mixed classic tracks with newer songs from the recently released 'The Blueprint 3'.

"I hear this show sold out in 20 seconds flat, so I want to thank you!" the rapper told the crowd – who made Roc-A-Fella diamond signs with their hands throughout the gig – after the opener, before launching immediately into 'U Don't Know', aided by his sidekick Memphis Bleek.

The set continued with the likes of 'What's My Name', 'Dirt Off Your Shoulder' and new cuts 'Empire State Of Mind' and 'Run This Town', although the biggest surprise came when the rapper closed his set by signalling to his onstage DJ to play Oasis' 'Wonderwall', which he got the crowd to loudly singalong with.

Returning for the encore, Jay-Z asked them which of his hits they'd like to hear, before proceeding to perform snippets of 'Money Ain't A Thang', 'Excuse Me Miss', 'Lucifer', 'Big Pimpin', 'Izzo (H.O.V.A)' and 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'.

He finally brought the show to a close with 'Encore', singling out individual members of the crowd and thanking them personally for coming.

Journalists often talk about key years in music; 1967 and the psychedelic 'Summer of Love' springs to mind, or 1977 and the dawn of bile-fuelled Punk.

However, my year zero for music was undoubtedly 1994 - and my band, my only band, was Oasis. Up until them, everything else had just been a hobby.

I enjoyed a unique introduction; as a one-time 13-year-old fan of video games, I had entered a competition in the now long-defunct 'Gamesmaster Magazine'. All you had to do was answer one question, they promised but, despite their attempts to tell you otherwise, the likelihood of success was inevitably low.

Yet, on offer was enough highly desirable computer kit to sink a battleship - in hindsight probably with the combined power of a modern toaster - and the thought of such bounty was more than enough to lure a greedy little git like me into dispatching a hopeful postcard to somewhere in England.

While I no doubt had my big eyes on a Sega Mega Drive or some other now entirely obsolete games console, in amongst the treasure trove were CDs by the hateful likes of East 17, Whigfield and Seal.

So it was that within a couple of weeks, a strange brown envelope arrived in the mail - but inside was a pristine copy of Oasis' peerless debut album, 'Definitely Maybe'.

It seems a little bit quaint now, but I remember thinking I would have preferred the cassette format as opposed to the fancy Dan compact disc; I only had a Walkman and, like many others, had yet to be convinced that CD was the way forward. Besides, I had a huge number of tapes - chewed or otherwise - and was naturally reluctant to part ways.

Cassettes were awful of course, and could easily run down your Duracell batteries in the process of simply trying to get from side one to side two, but you could record on them - and that made them a far more flexible option. Furthermore, CDs were still prohibitively expensive, often coming in at £15 to £20 a pop, and were still devoid of self-recording options.

Nevertheless, just as soon as I'd got my first CD player, 'Definitely Maybe' changed everything. To a kid previously interested in little more than football and Sonic the Hedgehog, Oasis were a visceral gateway to teenage licentiousness, to identity, to fashion, to girls.

Numerous critics predictably knocked their complete lack of pretension, the know-it-alls delighting in pointing out that many of their songs brazenly incorporated the melodies of others, that they were too in thrall to rock history, but to me Oasis represented vast possibility.

What the snobs failed to understand was that to wide-eyed kids looking for a soundtrack to oblivion and a curt dismissal of middle-of-the-road, big-haired 80s hell, they represented a refreshing tearing up of the manual, a cocky, patricidal act tantamount to ripping Elton John's wig off and pushing him off a roof.

Refreshingly, Noel Gallagher also had few qualms in name-checking influences - and song donors - as wide as Burt Bacharach, Crowded House, Abba and the New Seekers.

I and countless others didn't care where it came from; all we knew was that it now belonged to us, it was utterly intoxicating and exactly what we'd been waiting for.

My experiences of seeing them live proved just as casually volatile and occasionally as violent as the Gallaghers' own relationship. To my huge disappointment, I missed their arguable zenith in 1996 when phonelines were jammed for literally hours as everyone and their gran attempted to see the band at a perilously besieged Loch Lomond.

Eventually, my patience was rewarded and I got to properly see them at Glasgow's SECC in late '97. I was spotty, 16 and hugely excited - only to be let down, pale and scared when a vodka bottle thrown onstage saw the band walk off after just eight songs, resulting in thousands of so-called fans threatening to burn the place to the ground in retribution. It was hardly rock 'n' roll, but I'd also taken a funny turn about six songs in and lost my mate in the confusion, so was secretly a little glad that it had wrapped up so soon.

That same year, I remember dashing to a small record shop in Stanlane Place for a special 8am opening just to be amongst the first to get hold of a CD copy of 'Be Here Now' - the vastly overblown yet ultimately ridiculous third album.

Then, in 2001 as the downloading of music from the internet and recordable CDs became commonplace - an exciting development that meant I took some 200 self-recorded compilations on holiday - myself and a pal made the mistake of sleeping overnight at the SECC in an attempt to get gold dust tickets for a relatively tiny Oasis gig at the Barrowlands.

Sadly, various Buckfast-addled gorillas had become embroiled in a knuckle-dragging feud which raged long into the morning, and was even exacerbated after everyone had been told that a whole legion of early bird fans had been invited to sleep inside the venue the night before; they had already snapped up every last brief. After seeing several teeth knocked out and a passer-by taking a huge blow to the head from the thicker end of a Buckfast bottle, we headed for home, empty-handed and semi-traumatised.

In the intervening years, the gigs became more pedestrian in inverse proportion to the quality of the music, to the point that I saw them another seven times without major incident, the most sedate of which was a Noel Gallagher solo appearance at the Royal Albert Hall where almost every song originated from the band's mid-90s heyday.

However, seeing Oasis at Murrayfield this summer proved something of a watershed moment; beer queues took an hour, open drug use was rife, as were the neds, while 'seeing' the band largely involved squinting to see five ants on stage, but mostly just watching the action on big screens from afar, at the fringes of a segregated pit area for the better heeled. Noel Gallagher also looked suspiciously like he was going through the motions.

Then, three weeks ago, with predictable shock initially meeting the band's split, more deafening was the shrug of collective indifference.

These days, my entire music collection is contained on a cigarette pack-sized iPod filled with mp3s, mp4s, and more, but Oasis' finest moments in whole new formats are still very much a part of my listening, even if I get less and less time to actually listen.

More than that, their all-pervading influence may have faded, but they taught me so much. As a result of Noel Gallagher's songs, I picked up a guitar and alone in my bedroom single-handedly learnt to bash out pretty much any song around.

Those rudimentary noodlings even got me onto the stage at King Tut's in Glasgow - the venue where Oasis were first signed - and lent me enough street cred to blag my way into a week at the offices of the NME.

Furthermore, thanks to Oasis, I gained an unrivalled musical scholarship, on their recommendation quickly ploughing my way through the entire Beatles' back catalogue, then a dizzying array of Dylan, Zeppelin, The Who, the Stones, The Jam, Hendrix, The Stone Roses, The La's, T-Rex, U2, The Clash, The Kinks, and more.

Now, I plough my way with even greater speed through mp3 blogs, using sites such as Hype Machine to sample Florence and the Machine, or Largehearted Boy to try out Badly Drawn Boy.

But Oasis were the original revolution from my bedroom, and damn I'll miss them.

17 September 2009

Former Oasis star Bonehead comes to PJ Molloys in Dunfermline on Saturday night with his new band, The Vortex.

The group are tipped for the top by none other than Alan McGee, the man who set Oasis on the road to stardom.

They are set for a European tour but wanted to come north after becoming mates with Dunfermline band The Modern Faces, who supported them in a London gig earlier this year.

The concert is the launch of the Dirty Love Club, which aims to add to the ever-burgeoning live music scene in Dunfermline.

Gary Heaney, of Modern Faces, said, "They're going to Europe shortly and we might be playing some of the dates with them.

"Although they're heading over there soon to play in France and Germany, they still wanted to come up for this one-off gig, which is great of them.

"The two bands get on well and it's great to hear some of Bonehead's story. He's been there and done it. Other promoters have done well getting bands to Dunfermline recently but this guy was in Oasis."

Alan McGee said of the band, "Always trust in Manchester music. The Vortex are set for big things. They have been setting the controls for the heart of the northern anthem as if Kasabian never existed."

The band's own ambition is to "put real Manchester music back on the map again - prove that not all Manchester bands are burdened buy the past".

Bonehead, AKA Paul Arthurs, was a founding member of Oasis, recruiting Liam Gallagher as lead singer and later his brother Noel.

He was guitarist during the heady days from 1994 when Oasis shook the music world with their albums 'Definitely Maybe', 'What's The Story (Morning Glory)' and 'Be Here Now'.

He also had the arduous task of acting as peace-keeper between the warring Gallagher brothers once saying, "If it ever kicked off between Noel and Liam I was never scared to dive in. I was renowned for it."

Bonehead also enjoyed some of the band's greatest live performances including the famous 1996 Knebworth double-header in front of 250,000 over two nights.

He eventually left the band in 1999 to spend time with his family and the band's fortunes have gradually declined since leading to their recent split after more internercine feuding.

After playing a few dates with The Vortex, Bonehead decided at the end of last year to join full-time saying they had given him "his buzz" back after 10 years.

Also on the bill at PJs are Stirling band The Shermans, Bathgate singer/songwriter Ewan Butler and The Modern Faces. Tickets are £5.

Andy Bell is set to break cover to play a DJ set at the renowned London venue The Social. The musician is set to appear at club, owned by record label Heavenly, as part of the nightspot's 10th anniversary celebrations.

In addition to Andy Bell appearances on the night are expected from The Lea Shores, Honrada and This Feeling DJs. Entry is free!

Noel and brother Liam have been invited to the event, organised by Q magazine at the Grosvenor House Hotel, but they have both kept a low profile since their increasing rift led to Noel quitting just moments before a gig in Paris.

A trio of acts lead the field with three nominations each - Kasabian, Arctic Monkeys and Florence & The Machine. U2, Dizzee Rascal and Lady GaGa are among the acts with a pair of mentions on the shortlist.

Q's editor-in-chief Paul Rees said: "The Q Awards prides itself on honouring the best popular music of the year and the 2009 vintage is no exception. Once again the nominations prove that great music continues to be made across a broad range of styles."

On Monday, October 26 Q will once again honour the biggest and best stars in music at The Awards.

Q Awards 2009 with Russian Standard Vodka celebrate a great year in music as Oasis, Muse, Kasabian, U2, Florence And The Machine, Kings Of Leon, Dizzee Rascal and Arctic Monkeys prepare to fight it out for a golden Q.

Last year's Q Awards with Russian Standard Vodka saw Coldplay take home the prestigious Best Act in the World Today however this year they face strong opposition in the form of recently split Oasis, Muse, Arctic Monkeys and the all-conquering Kings Of Leon.

Kasabian and Florence And The Machine both crown their hugely successful year by garnering three nominations apiece.

Comenting on the nominees Q Magazine Editor-In-Chief Paul Rees highlighted the breadth of Q reader's taste, "The Q Awards prides itself on honouring the best popular music of the year and the 2009 vintage is no exception. Once again the nominations prove that great music continues to be made across a broad range of styles. The nominations are compiled from votes cast in their thousands by Q's readers, listeners, viewers and online users, so they reflect the choice of the nation's music fans."

Jay-Z has said he saw his dispute with rapper Nas as meaning more than his dispute with Oasis' Noel Gallagher.

The two New York rappers used to have issues with each other following sampling and guest spot disputes. Gallagher, a former Glastonbury headliner with Oasis, said that Jay-Z was the "wrong" booking to headline the festival, as the rapper did last year.

When asked in a new interview in Shortlist magazine which beef "meant more", Jay-Z said: "Nas because it comes from hip-hop. It was a great time in hip-hop, a great battle.

"Noel, that was pretty cool too. That felt more like me progressing and knocking down a different barrier more than a thing with me and Noel. I think it was more about [the festival], we were arguing about that, not arguing with each other. He was, 'I wanted it to be like I always saw it!'. I was like, 'No, the world's changing'."

He went on to say that he would be interested in playing at Glastonbury again.

"Absolutely [I would play it]", he said. "I rank it as one of those moments when I first got a Grammy. The people wanted it, the people were like, 'No, we like Jay-Z and we like Noel, we like both of you guys."

In a move that transcends boundaries between the music and art scenes, Buy Art Fair is showcasing a host of galleries featuring big names in the music industry to present an showcase of their art work.

Hosted at Urbis, from 24 to 27 September, the contemporary art buying event will uncover artistic talent from the likes of John Squire, Kevin Cummins and Edwyn Collins amongst other major music world figures.

Manchester born Kevin Cummins will be exhibiting work at this year’s Buy Art Fair with Paul Stolper gallery. His portraits of rock musicians, including Joy Division, The Smiths, Oasis and David Bowie, have graced magazine covers, galleries and bedroom walls the world over and are included within collections at The National Portrait Gallery and The V&A amongst others.

Buy Art Fair will be offering visitors the opportunity to get a signed copy of Cummins’ new book – Manchester: Looking for the light through the pouring rain – on Friday 25th September from 1-2pm and 6-7pm at Urbis.

The book takes readers through a historic journey of Manchester, its bands, its fashions and its attitude and explores how these factors have shaped popular culture in a city deemed by many to be one of the coolest internationally.

Also unveiling his work this year will be former-Stone Roses guitarist and song-writer, John Squire, courtesy of Vivienne Gaskin Cultural Management Ltd.

Throughout his time with the Roses, Squire’s passion for art shone through, with the musician imposing his artistic flair across a range of The Stone Roses’ items from bespoke guitars and drums through to record sleeves and clothing for band members.

Five years on from his debut art exhibition, Squire brings his obsessive and meticulous studies of consumer packaging to Buy Art Fair with a series of monumental rusting steel box structures frozen in various states of disassembly. Scorched canvas silhouettes, stamped lead and works in wax and oil continue the exploration of the humble cardboard box. The exhibition can be read as signifying the excesses of consumer production and waste, whilst equally seeming to celebrate the intricacies of the packaging form. Adding to the line up of music legends, Genesis Publications will be exhibiting a signed, limited edition compendium of Ronnie Wood's work entitled 'Wood on Canvas'. An intimate look at the rock star’s 'other' career as an artist, every piece featured has been hand-picked by Ronnie from his archive of sketch books and files. The collection includes portraits of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Keith Moon, and of course, his fellow Stones, accompanied by a wry commentary from Wood. A box set of 12 serigraphs and a book by Sir Peter Blake and Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys will also be exhibited.

This year’s Buy Art Fair will also present an opportunity to view art work by Ben Kelly, interior designer of the Hacienda, and Paul Normansell, artist for the Killers Album cover ‘Day & Age’.

Ben Kelly will be interviewed by Jonathan Schofield, the Confidential editor, this week, with a story appearing next week.

Buy Art Fair has partnered with Band on the Wall, a Confidential media partner and famed music venue, which will be re-opening its doors to the public after five years on the same weekend as Buy Art Fair. As part of the partnership, Buy Art Fair and Band on The Wall will be offering exclusive prizes and VIP tickets for both venues.

Celebrations around the collection of music-inspired art will kick off at the preview evening on Thursday 24 September where John Strutton’s band, Arthur Brick, will play at the launch of The Manchester Contemporary, a new platform within Buy Art Fair. Strutton, whose work is curated by DOMOBAAL, is not only recognised for his position as Senior Tutor in Painting at The Royal College of Art, but also for writing his own music and even creating his own drum skins and guitars.

For further information on Buy Art Fair and this year’s line up, for more details visit www.buyartfair.co.uk.

Who can take over the Gallaghers' mantle as Britain's biggest band?...

Although the demise of Oasis was as expected as the clamour for a kebab after a night on the piss, their disbandment has left a huge hole. Like them or not an output of seven studio albums, two live albums, one B-sides collection and a Best of made them the biggest current British band up until the 29th of August that is (Rolling Stones exempt on account of them being around too long for debate). And before anyone starts, U2 can go back to their charity-bowl begging tax haven.

‘What’s The Story’ sold nearly 4.5million copies over here alone - third in the all-time list behind Queen Greatest Hits and Sgt. Pepper’s. 'Be Here Now' too is still the fastest-selling album in British history. Admittedly line-up changes to rival the Sugababes gap-year programme and some dross ('Little James' for one) followed but name another band’s B-side that 80,000 people know every word to? Know what I mean?

And so to the point of this semi-ramble, with impending solo careers beckoning for the brothers, a re-union doesn’t look likely. Therefore, by default, who is now the biggest band in Britain? Ruling out Blur and The Verve as they have re-formed and honorary Brits Kings of Leon (see ‘Fans’ for reference), here is a run down of all the contenders (and pretenders) to the Oasis throne.

NB: Kaiser Chiefs and Razorlight missed the cut because they’re shit and for no other reason.

Ian McCulloch, legendary frontman of Echo and the Bunnymen, today commented on the recent Oasis split.

During an interview with The Quietus, McCullock said "I feel sorry for Noel. After all it was his fucking band man. Looking at things it seems like he's been bullied from all those behind the group.

"What do you do when that happens? He's had to walk out on his own band. But Noel is a good songwriter and he'll be ok. He's got projects. The rest of the band, well that guy from Ride, I like him, he's ok. At least the rest of them have still got him if they want to continue together."

Put a smile on your chops by winning a box-set of rare, unpublished official photos of the rockers, worth £2,500.

The shots of Liam and Noel Gallagher and their band, throughout their 18-year career, have been obtained by Bizarre's favourite music night This Feeling, at East London club Parker McMillan. And I'm giving one reader a chance to win the pictures, by snapper Michael Spencer Jones.

For a chance to win, email bizcomps@the-sun.co.uk telling me which Oasis song features a band member's name.

Contest closes tonight (Wednesday) at midnight.

For more of snapper Michael's great shots, see spellboundpublications.com.

Oasis took some great lessons from The Beatles and arguably improved upon the music.

...........It happens. I've been told by many, many people my age that The Beatles -- The Beatles! -- are their favorite band. Every time, I say, "OK, that's cute, but you don't have to impress me. Tell me what your real favorite band is." Inevitably, they stick to their guns.

I feel the need to continue to reiterate: I understand that The Beatles are culturally significant and important in the historical progression of rock music. And I understand that they're talented. But unless you were locked in a time capsule like Brendan Fraser in "Blast From the Past," they cannot be your favorite band. If you're younger than 50 and you do make such a claim, you're either (A) trying to impress someone with what you think will be received as good taste, or (B) woefully behind in your consumption of music. If it's A, I'm disappointed in you. If it's B, there's hope -- we only have to help you find the good stuff.

I'd much rather listen to Oasis than The Beatles. Oasis, or any band that came after The Beatles, learned from The Beatles, improving on their work by listening to, building on and perfecting the styles pioneered by The Beatles. The result: The arrangements used by Oasis are more complex, the sound is denser, the production is better. Claims that Oasis is nothing more than a Beatles tribute band do little to disprove my theory. There is no question that Oasis was influenced by The Beatles -- most rock bands are. That influence was likely heavier with Oasis, but even Oasis -- brash as the band is -- understands the power of what came before. After all, Oasis named an album "Standing On the Shoulders of Giants."

All of these improvements can be chalked up to chronological order. Just as Dean Koontz came after Bram Stoker, Oasis came after The Beatles. Each had the advantage of superior technology, in addition to the natural advantage of the chance to learn from their forebears. The chance to, well, stand on someone's shoulders.

Now, is that to say that Oasis is more important than The Beatles? Am I implying that Dean Koontz is more vital to the development of literature? Absolutely not. I would be remiss in making such a claim.

It is important to understand the history of one's chosen art forms. Therefore, everyone should listen to The Beatles. And everyone should read "Dracula." But afterward, they should be able to separate importance from their own tastes.

And really, that's what this comes down to. I'd like people to make up their own minds. Too often, I find myself surrounded by people who spout opinions of politics or religion or music that are not their own. Much of the time, those opinions are a product of their parents, their upbringing and their inability to see two sides of an argument.

It's enough to know that The Beatles were an influential band that created music that was loved by the world. You don't have to claim that you love them, or that they're your favorite band. You don't have to go along when other people start listing off their top five Beatles' songs. It's OK to say, "That's not my scene, man." (If you're going to use that exact quote, it would be most effective to be wearing a beret.............

14 September 2009

Three British bands, Coldplay, Oasis and Take That have managed to score entries in the 2010 Guinness world records.

Coldplay claimed two records: “Most downloaded free track of the week” and “Best selling download album in the UK”. After 22 successive Top 10 hits in the UK, Oasis has set the record for “Longest Top 10 UK chart run by a group”.

Take That’s comeback tour has earned them a place in the records with an entry for the “Fastest-Selling UK tour”.

All 600,000 tickets for their 2009 tour sold out within five hours of going on sale.

Fellow Brit Alexandra Burke achieved two record entries for her single Allelulia, which sold a record 576,046 copies in the UK, topping Leona Lewis’s record in 2006.

The new records suggest the increasingly successful numbers of online downloads. Leona Lewis’s single Bleeding Love sold a record 3.3 million online in the US.

Following a troublesome Oasis gig held at Murrayfield in June, stadium managers will be required to apply for an alcohol license each time they host a non-sporting event.

Following unsavoury scenes at the concert, Murrayfield will only be granted a license to provide visitors with alcohol at concerts on a case-by-case basis, subject to discussions between the council and event organisers.

“This affords the council the opportunity to discuss the arrangements around the concerts in advance, both with Scottish Rugby and the promoter, and ensure that the appropriate measures are in place.”

Non-sporting events comprise a very small percentage of Murrayfield’s overall use, with the Oasis concert being the only such event hosted at the stadium over the last 12 months.

The nature of the event highlighted the possible need for a policy change regarding the sale of alcohol, as numerous local residents complained after large numbers of rowdy fans engaged in anti-social activities, including fighting, littering and urinating on the streets.

In addition to the council’s licensing division, amendments to alcohol-related policies at Murrayfield will be influenced by the Scottish Rugby Local Residents Group.

The group comprises representatives from Scottish Rugby’s Communications and Public Affairs team, Murrayfield’s Stadium Manager, Lothian & Borders Police, Murrayfield Community Council, City of Edinburgh Council West Neighbourhood Team and a number of local residents.

Ms Irvine continued: “Should the potential arise to stage a non-sporting event at the stadium in the future, Scottish Rugby would apply to the licensing Board for a variation of our existing license and they would ultimately decide.”

The Scottish Rugby Union has held the right to sell alcohol at sporting, corporate and banqueting events taking place at the stadium since 2007.

David Gray took a pop at Oasis when he became the latest star to play a Biz Session.After acoustic performances of Babylon, Fugitive and Draw The Line, the wobbly-headed singer said: "I saw Oasis at Glastonbury years ago and it was a total non-event.

Watch David Gray perform an acoustic version of Babylon below and see vids of Fugitive and Draw The Line by clicking here.

"They failed to connect with the festival. Also they haven't done anything musically interesting since their highest moment, which was over 15 years ago now."

He then spectacularly undid his bravado by admitting to being the most boring man on the planet.

David - whose album Draw The Line is out today - added: "The rock 'n' roll lifestyle isn't for me. After a weekend partying I need a week and a half to get over it.

"Come Monday evening I'm watching costume dramas, eating a curry and maybe some mash then it's off for an early night."

I don't know what's more disturbing - being a costume drama fan or having mash with curry?

13 September 2009

Chart star Ian Brown, who was the inspiration for Oasis to launch a career in music, offered his advice to each of the squabbling Gallagher brothers: "Go solo".

Brown, whose years as frontman with the Stone Roses gave Noel and Liam the push to perform, said it was a sad end to the band to see the pair fighting publicly.

Brown, about to launch his sixth solo album My Way on September 28, said he had long been touched by the brothers' admiration for the Roses, whose self-titled debut album is hailed as one of the all-time greats.

Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher - the band's chief songwriter - announced he had quit the band last month after years of physical and verbal battles with his frontman brother. Neither brother has so far talked about their future plans but Noel has often talked about recording his own material and Liam has spoken in interviews about recording some of his songs, although he is still officially part of Oasis.

Speaking to the Press Association, Brown advised: "I would say go solo - I can heartily recommend it. It's a fine way to be."

He said: "What's a shame is that they're brothers. From being ten and six scrapping on the carpet in the front room, now they are doing it in public and worldwide - I think that's a bit of a shame for them. Life's hard enough without scrapping with your brother when you're a grown man."

Brown added: "I always loved Oasis because when they came out, they did express that they loved us and they saw that we did it and thought we could do it too. We're lads like they are, and that inspired them. That means a lot to me."

Zak Starkey, (born 13 September 1965) is an English drummer, well-known as the first child of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) and his first wife Maureen Cox. Starkey is mostly noted for his unofficial membership in The Who, since 1994.

Starkey is the fourth drummer for the rock band The Who, playing with them live and occasionally in the studio. He is also known as being the third drummer for the English rock band Oasis until summer 2008. Starkey has also worked on session and touring basis with artists including: Johnny Marr, Paul Weller, The Icicle Works, the Waterboys, ASAP and the Lightning Seeds.

Amorphous Androgynous, the psych rock alter ego for The Future Sound Of London pair Garry Cobain and Brian Dougans, have changed the date of their forthcoming London album launch party.

The event, to mark the launch of their 'A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding In Your Mind' compilation record, had been set to take place at the matter venue on September 17, but has been shifted to October 30.

Oasis' Noel Gallagher had been set to make a cameo appearance, playing with the band onstage. Organisers have not stated whether he is still available for the new date or not, following his departure from Oasis last month.

In a statement, organisers explained that the move was due to "unforeseen circumstances". Original tickets are valid for the new date, while refunds will be available too. Additions to the line-up for the show are set to be announced soon.

Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, founder member and former guitarist with Oasis, has announced a UK and European tour with Manchester’s most talked-about new band, The Vortex.

"It really is like the old days of Oasis for me – these small, sweaty gigs where the audience are going barmy. There's a real menace and excitement to this band. I've seen it before with Oasis. And I'm seeing it all over again with The Vortex." Bonehead talking about The Vortex.

The Vortex are cooking up a storm at their regular visits to Alan McGee's Death Disco in London, and are currently recording their debut album with Bonehead on production duties.

“You can always put your trust in Manchester music and the Vortex are set for big things, they've been setting their controls for the heart of the northern anthem as if Kasabian never existed. Plus, the new demos have been surpassing all expectation: pure anthems for party people. Oh yeah, they just added Bonehead (of Oasis fame) on guitar.” Alan McGee (writing in The Guardian)

JAXX (Heather Small/Cotton Club vocalist) has also joined The Vortex full-time, and will be touring with the band this autumn. The band have also recently filmed their part in brit-gangster flick ‘Freight’ with celebrated hard man Joe Egan.